Learning to Live

Suffering is a minset.

2011-04-14T19:54:00.003-05:00

As I sat with our 31 year old daughter before she went into surgery and waiting while she was in surgery, I was thinking of a friend who has been setting with her 29year old son as he takes his chemo, praying to rid his body of Stage IV colon cancer. It was when I was in the waiting phase that I was thanking God that Chrissy didn't have a serious disease; she was having a minor procedure to correct a lazy eye that she has had since birth. At the same time I was letting God know that I was really tired of suffering. If it's not me suffering, it's Estela. If it's not my family, it's my friends. God I'm really weary from sufferings.

That's when I heard the voice. He said "SUFFERING IS A MINDSET!" As I contemplated this, I looked around the waiting room. There were several children in the room that ranged from around 2-4 years of age. Their parents were waiting for the call to take them back for the surgery or waiting for the surgeon to come out and give them the report. The children were a little grumpy but not bad considering they hadn't had anything to eat or drink for over 8 hours. You could tell from observation and eavesdropping on the parents, that some of them had been there before and, others, it was their first time.

I don’t propose to understand all of this suffering. Yet, His word to me seemed to give an assurance that He is present and has a purpose in our sufferings. Here's what I think the Lord was showing me:

1) Suffering is a matter of experience. Some of the parents in the waiting room had experienced this scenario before. Obviously, they were concerned for their baby's health but experience had taught them that it probably was going to be okay. Others there had been there several times. Even though they were concerned, this was old hat to them. Still, others there, this was there first time. They were visibly upset and anxious. Regardless, they were there because they believed it was beneficial for them or their child.

If you think about it, have we ever experienced life without sufferings? To me, the answer is no. There are some seasons where sufferings are less and some where sufferings are greater but, in reality, there are always some degrees of sufferings in life. The Scriptures teach us that "we know that the whole creation groans and suffers the pains of childbirth together until now." (Rom 8:22) Even the entire creation sighs and cries out in suffering as it waits for the redemption of Christ Second Coming. No one knows for sure how those sighs and cries are manifested but maybe they are the things we call natural disasters. Maybe the tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, tsunamis, droughts, floods, and other things of nature are the whole creation crying out in suffering.

When the intensity of our suffering is kicked into high gear, it seems, in comparison, that we didn't have much suffering at all before. That’s when we desire to return to the times of less suffering. We get weary of the suffering. It seems the weights of the burdens are just too great to bear. Yet, we cannot experience Christ in a greater way without experiencing sufferings in a greater way. The greater we know Him the greater our suffering. For it is in the midst of experiencing sufferings that we experience Him. This is why Paul could say, "I count all things to be loss in view of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord, for whom I have suffered the loss of all things, and count them but rubbish so that I may gain Christ, and may be found in Him, not having a righteousness of my own derived from the Law, but that which is through faith in Christ, the righteousness which comes from God on the basis of faith, that I may know Him and the power of His resurrection and the fellowship of His sufferings, being conformed to His death.” (Phil 3:8-10) Because he, Paul, has more experience than us in suffering he encourages us to “Suffer hardship with me, as a good soldier of Christ Jesus.” He confidently tells us “Therefore do not be ashamed of the testimony of our Lord or of me His prisoner, but join with me in suffering for the gospel according to the power of God.” And Peter can exhort us that, “After you have suffered for a little while, the God of all grace, who called you to His eternal glory in Christ, will Himself perfect, confirm, strengthen and establish you.” (1 Pet 5:10)

Sometimes, we, like Job, question God with “Why is light given to him who suffers.” (Job 3:20) It seems cruel that we know a better way, we see a better way, but we still suffer. God’s answer is “From the wicked their light is withheld.” (Job 38:15) Is it better to have the light in suffering or not have the light at all? Maybe we suffer because we do see the light. Would it be better to not see the light at all? All people on the face of the earth suffer. The only difference is whether the sufferings are done in the light or in the darkness. The only difference between the sufferers is where they end up.

If our mindset is that suffering is inevitable we will not “be surprised at the fiery ordeal among you, which comes upon you for your testing, as though some strange thing were happening to you; but to the degree that you share the sufferings of Christ, keep on rejoicing, so that also at the revelation of His glory you may rejoice with exultation.” (1 Pet 4:12-13) Though we will get tired of sufferings and weary in it, we will, in the end, be able to “keep on rejoicing” because we know that it is beneficial for us. And although we know it is beneficial for us we will still get tired of it and weary in it. Why? Because that is there we encounter Christ and hear Him say “My grace is sufficient for you, for [My] power is perfected in [your] weakness.” (2 Co 12:9). We cannot experience His fullness, faithfulness, and favor without experiencing His sufferings. The Bible promises us that “just as the sufferings of Christ are ours in abundance, so also our comfort is abundant through Christ.” (2 Co 1:5) To the degree that we experience sufferings is the degree to which we experience His comfort. In the experience, “keep on rejoicing.”

2) Suffering is a matter of expectations. We were there in that waiting room, along with all the others there, because we expected that why we were there was going to be helpful. The parents of those children would not have been there and turn their babies over to those surgeons unless they completely and absolutely believed in medical science and expected good to come from it. By doing what they were doing, those parents subjected their children to sufferings. Their children feel anxiety, panic, fear, confusion, aloneness, isolation, abandoned, grief, loss, insecurity, distress, emptiness, agitations, anger, not to mention the physical pain of the surgery.

Without reducing God to humanity, could it be that God is completely “aware of our sufferings” (Ex 3:7) as He was the Israelites in captivity, yet understands that it is going to be beneficial to us? Like the “woman who had been suffering from a hemorrhage for twelve years, came up behind Him and touched the fringe of His cloak” (Mt 9:20), maybe He expects us to come to Him in our sufferings. As our creator, maybe He knows that the influence of sin on us will cause us to become complacent in our relationship with Him without something to drive us to Him. After all, that has been the pattern of man all through the Bible. God delivers, man becomes complacent, God allows sufferings, and man turns to God. The grace of God in this pattern is that, it is the influence of sin that causes our suffering.

Turning to God when we suffer is inferred in the First Epistle of Peter when Peter wrote, “Therefore, those also who suffer according to the will of God shall entrust their souls to a faithful Creator in doing what is right.” (1 Pt 4:19) There it is. There is a suffering that God wills and as we go through it we are to trust our Sovereign Creator to always do what is right. “It is better, if God should will it so, that you suffer for doing what is right rather than for doing what is wrong.” (1 Pt 3:17) Sometimes it is God’s will for us to suffer. If we suffer for doing wrong then we suffer justly. If we suffer for doing what is right then we suffer righteously. If we suffer for doing what is right, others will notice, just as the thief who was crucified with Jesus. While observing Jesus being crucified, he said to his cohort in crime, “we indeed are suffering justly, for we are receiving what we deserve for our deeds; but this man has done nothing wrong.” (Lk 23:41). This is why Peter instructs that we understand, “For what credit is there if, when you sin and are harshly treated, you endure it with patience? But if when you do what is right and suffer for it you patiently endure it, this finds favor with God.” (1 Pt 2:20) There is a grace that God gives when living the best we can, we suffer, and we patiently endure it.

Not only is there a suffering that is the will of God, but there is also a suffering that is a gift from God: “For to you it has been granted for Christ’s sake, not only to believe in Him, but also to suffer for His sake.” (Phil 1:29) “It has been granted” is the phrase that carries the idea of someone doing a favor for someone. So, there is such a thing as the gift of sufferings. Sometimes God does us a favor by allowing us to suffer. Just as it is by grace that we believe in Him it is also by grace that we suffer “for His sake.” In context it seems apparent that this suffering is because of being a believer, to suffer on behalf of Christ. Yet, couldn’t the idea of suffering on behalf of Christ mean to suffer gracefully testifying of Christ in the face of a hostile world. “To suffer for His sake” does not tell us what kind of suffering one goes through but that the gift of suffering is for believers as they live out their lives for Christ.

How could we expect anything less than the Author and Perfecter of our faith? “For it was fitting for Him [Father], for whom are all things, and through whom are all things, in bringing many sons to glory, to perfect the author of their salvation through sufferings… Although He was a Son, He learned obedience from the things which He suffered.” (Heb 2:10; 5:8) Jesus started early in His earthly ministry teaching the disciples that “The Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed and be raised up on the third day.” (Lk 9:22) After the resurrection Jesus miraculously joined two disciples as they walked on the road to Emmaus. Not recognizing Him, they began expressing their despondency in the crucifixion and death of Jesus. As Jesus listened to them, He questioned their belief in what had been written, when He said, “Was it not necessary for the Christ to suffer these things and to enter into His glory?” (Lk 24:26)

If it was necessary for Christ to suffer, should we not expect that there is the necessity that we, too, must suffer in order to learn obedience and to bring us to completion. This leads me to understand what Peter wrote, “Therefore, since Christ has suffered in the flesh, arm yourselves also with the same purpose.” (1 Pt 4:1) With this exhortation there comes the expectation of suffering. What difference does it make, if, when we suffer, it is expected? First, if it is expected, it does not catch us off guard. We are not “surprised at the fiery ordeal among” us. If we are not shocked when sufferings come there is a higher probability that we won’t start wondering if we are being punished, if God is angry with us, if God cares, or if we even know God. Expectation allows us the freedom to rest in the sovereignty of God and that His character in dealing with us, His children, is through His love, grace, and forgiveness. We are “heirs of God and fellow heirs with Christ, if indeed we suffer with Him so that we may also be glorified with Him.” (Rom 8:17)

Expect to suffer. He told us we would. Stop being surprised by it. Expectation will take the sting out of sufferings. Being Christian does not exempt us from sufferings. If it did, everybody would want to be a Christian for the wrong reason. Some people obviously believe that God owes them a life without sufferings because they fall away from the faith when they find themselves suffering. Some believers, who are truly saved, have a belief system that holds to a belief that God should spare us from sufferings if we serve Him. When they suffer they lose their joy and go into deep depression. They get angry at God for allowing the sufferings and they stay mad at Him if the suffering doesn’t stop. Other believers deny reality when they put on their fake smiles and “praise the Lords” in the midst of the sufferings. Suffering doesn’t seem to faze them in the least little bit because they are not in touch with their own emotions.

Yes there are sufferings in life. Yes, even Christians suffer in life. After all, He “sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous.” (Matt 5:45) Expect it. God expects us to turn to Him in our sufferings. The joy of the Lord is our strength (Neh 8:10). He’s not angry with us. He’s not punishing us. His love for us has not diminished. His grace will get us through it. Don’t compare your sufferings with someone else’s sufferings. If we’re going to compare our sufferings, let’s be like Paul and compare them to eternity. Paul wrote, “For I consider that the sufferings of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory that is to be revealed to us.” (Rom 8:18) In the expectation, “keep on rejoicing.”

3) Suffering is a matter of example. “Since Christ also suffered for you, leaving you an example for you to follow in His steps.” (1 Pt 1:21) Jesus set the example for us in sufferings. He walked this way before, blazing the trail for us. Now, He empowers us to walk the faith-walk while going through sufferings. The idea is not, “if He can do it I can do it”, but, “because He did it for me, I don’t have to do it, all I have to do is rest in Him.” If I follow in His steps I will suffer because He suffered but His comfort will be mine, as well.

This is nothing new. It was a reality in the Old Testament, too. “As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.” (Jam 5:10) Not only did Jesus set the example but the prophets of old also set an example for us. They lived patiently in the midst of sufferings as an example to us. Satan, like a roaring lion, will try to devour us and destroy us through sufferings. He will try to corrupt our faith. He will try to steal our joy. He will lie to us about our victory. The Apostle Peter tells us how to deal with him as he tries to intimidate us with his loud roars. “But resist him, firm in your faith, knowing that the same experiences of suffering are being accomplished by your brethren who are in the world.” (1 Pet 5:9) Resist him. Stand firm in your faith. Look around and see all the examples of faithful followers who have been and are still going through sufferings. My father taught me and I taught my children; just look around and you will find someone who has it worse than you.

Realize that as we go through sufferings we become an example to others. We are either a good example or a poor example. But don’t just live to be an example. LIVE BECAUSE YOU ARE ALIVE IN CHRIST. Suffer in your love for God. Love Him more than you hate the suffering. He has everything in control and nothing we go through catches Him by surprise.

Hebrews 12:1-3
Therefore, since we have so great a cloud of witnesses surrounding us [and all the examples, past and present], let us also lay aside every encumbrance [like expecting God to treat us different than He has anyone else] and the sin which so easily entangles us [like disbelief in His sovereignty and trusting Him with everything dear to us], and let us run with endurance the race that is set before us [life is a marathon not a sprint], 2 fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy [keep on rejoicing; not talking about happiness but never losing our sense of humor because we know who holds the future] set before Him endured the cross [sufferings], despising the shame [not letting sin have the victory], and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God [our promise of heaven]. 3 For consider Him [He set the example] who has endured such hostility by sinners against Himself [no one has ever suffered so much], so that you will not grow weary [we get tired and weary but we don’t stay there] and lose heart [give up and revert back to our safe, old way of dealing with everything].

2 Timothy 2:12
For this reason I also suffer these things, but I am not ashamed; for I know whom I have believed and I am convinced that He is able to guard what I have entrusted to Him until that day.

Merry Christmas

2009-12-24T12:40:00.001-06:00

Expectations and Hope – Ultimate Hope

2009-09-15T10:22:00.001-05:00

Expectations have a tension that is caused be either hope or fear. Hope that is based on God’s Word is a confidence in God and we can expect God to be true to His Word. Expectations that are based on misinterpreting God’s Word can create an anxiety and fear. Expectations are usually things we want so bad that we convince ourselves that it is based on God’s Word.

When people are in a chronic ailment situation there are times that they want healing so bad that they will believe anything that promises healing. Some will place all their faith in medical science while others will put their faith in misinterpretations. Let’s take a look at how misinterpreting the scriptures can create a false expectation.

Jesus Christ was the “expected one” in the Old Testament. The Jewish people hoped for the Christ to come and that hope had a confidence in God’s Word. After they interpreted that Word they developed expectations concerning His coming. They expected Him to come in royalty. They expected Him to be physically outstanding. They expected Him to be a great military leader. They expected Him to establish His physical kingdom on earth right then. They expected Him to be what they had interpreted Him to be.

When the Christ came the expectations had been so integrated with the hope of His coming that most Israelites missed seeing Christ for who He was. Those who missed by the largest margin were those who were responsible for the interpretations, the religious establishment.

Our interpretations of the Bible can create expectations that cause tension between true hope and interpreted expectations. For instance, the hope of the New Testament believer is the confidence that the Scripture says that Christ will come again. Commonly, this is called the second coming of Christ. The New Testament even ends with a statement about this coming.

Concerning this hope of the second coming there are many different interpretations that create numerous different expectations. There are views that are called Amillennialism, Premillennialism, Postmillennialism, and Preterism, to name a few. In each of these views there are various interpretations that create different expectations concerning the second coming of Christ.

As you can see, certain interpretations create certain expectations. It is no different with healing. Jesus Christ healed people when he was walking on the earth. Some of His disciples preformed healings as recorded in the New Testament. During the years of the church there are recorded testimonies of people who have experienced physical healings. Yet, did Jesus heal everyone who was sick in Israel? Did His disciples wipe out sickness in the New Testament? Has everyone who was sick over the past 2000 years been healed by His church? No, no and no!

So, what in the scriptures is it that gives us hope and confidence as we suffer through our physical ailments?

James 5:7-20 (NASB)

7 Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains.

8 You too be patient; strengthen your hearts, for the coming of the Lord is near.

9 Do not complain, brethren, against one another, so that you yourselves may not be judged; behold, the Judge is standing right at the door.

10 As an example, brethren, of suffering and patience, take the prophets who spoke in the name of the Lord.

11 We count those blessed who endured. You have heard of the endurance of Job and have seen the outcome of the Lord’s dealings, that the Lord is full of compassion and is merciful.

12 But above all, my brethren, do not swear, either by heaven or by earth or with any other oath; but your yes is to be yes, and your no, no, so that you may not fall under judgment.

13 Is anyone among you suffering? Then he must pray. Is anyone cheerful? He is to sing praises.

14 Is anyone among you sick? Then he must call for the elders of the church and they are to pray over him, anointing him with oil in the name of the Lord;

15 and the prayer offered in faith will restore the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up, and if he has committed sins, they will be forgiven him.

16 Therefore, confess your sins to one another, and pray for one another so that you may be healed. The effective prayer of a righteous man can accomplish much.

17 Elijah was a man with a nature like ours, and he prayed earnestly that it would not rain, and it did not rain on the earth for three years and six months.

18 Then he prayed again, and the sky poured rain and the earth produced its fruit.

19 My brethren, if any among you strays from the truth and one turns him back,

20 let him know that he who turns a sinner from the error of his way will save his soul from death and will cover a multitude of sins.

The truth of hope tells me that God is much more concerned over my spiritual health than He is my physical health. He is more concerned with my character than He is with my comfort. Patience is a work of the Spirit upon my impatient nature.

The truth of hope tells me that God has the ability to heal me if He chooses to do so. Every time I hear of God healing someone reminds me of His ability and assures me of His power to heal. Yet, physical healing is useless without the power to forgive. Forgiveness of sin is the ultimate healing.

The truth of hope tells me that my life is not defined by my physical ailment. It may limit my physical abilities but it doesn’t identify who I am. Christ does that. My righteousness is not of self but the imputed righteousness of Christ.

The truth of hope tells me that all physical healing is at best temporary. The course of all physical life ends in death. Consider the prophets, Job, or Elijah. None are still with us. If I am healed of this ailment I will still ultimately experience death. It may come in a sudden moment or it may come through failing physical health.

The truth of hope tells me that my physical existence on this earth is brief compared to eternity. In heaven I will not have physical ailments. Physical existence on this earth is test of endurance, a marathon of faith. As a believer in Christ, heaven is my ultimate hope.

Expectation is impatient. Hope is patient.

Yet those who wait for the LORD
Will gain new strength;
They will mount up with wings like eagles,
They will run and not get tired,
They will walk and not become weary.
(Is 40:31)

(This is the end of looking at the difference between expectations and hope as they relate to suffering. I hope it has been helpful.)

Expectations and Hope – Hope’s Fuel

2009-09-13T12:33:00.001-05:00

The prophet Ezekiel warned the generation who were into Babylonian captivity. He laid out a constant warning to Isreal who was in a foreign land and susceptible to being converted to pagan beliefs. But he also warned about the false prophets of Israel. I like Eugene Peterson’s interpretation of 13:1, 6 in The Message.

“Preach against the prophets of Israel who are making things up out of their own heads and calling it ‘prophesying.’
“All they do is fantasize comforting illusions and preach lying sermons. They say ‘GOD says …’ when GOD hasn’t so much as breathed in their direction. And yet they stand around thinking that something they said is going to happen.”

In my opinion, those who proclaim the health, wealth, and prosperity message are like those false prophets Ezekiel preached against. “All they do is fantasize comforting illusions.” They create an illusion of belief on things that they have either been deceived in believing or are flat out deceiving others for personal gain. They create a situation where the power of suggestion can bring about a healing of some but most go away unhealed. The power of suggestion is a “standing around thinking that something they said is going to happen.”

Rather than trying to create a power of suggestion why not just establish an environment where real faith results in an optimistic positive outlook. After all, “The fundamental fact of existence is that this trust in God, this faith, is the firm foundation under everything that makes life worth living. (Heb 11:1) The Message

The best healing agent for someone who is chronically ill is an optimistic positive attitude. It is a proven fact that maintaining a positive outlook on life will release the natural healing benefits of the body. Consider the following verses that illustrate the hope of faith:

“Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Ro 15:13)

“we hope for what we do not see, with perseverance we wait eagerly for it.” (Rom 8:25)

“according to my earnest expectation and hope, that I will not be put to shame in anything, but that with all boldness, Christ will even now, as always, be exalted in my body, whether by life or by death.” (Phil 1:20)

“Now may our Lord Jesus Christ Himself and God our Father, who has loved us and given us eternal comfort and good hope by grace, comfort and strengthen your hearts in every good work and word.” (2 Thes 2:16-17)

“we who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us.” (Heb 6:18)

Faith is hope’s sustenance. Yet, our faith and hope are not in things that fail. “For we through the Spirit, by faith, are waiting for the hope of righteousness.” (Gal 5:5) The “hope of righteousness” is obviously Jesus Christ. “Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for He who promised is faithful.” (Heb 10:23) Our hope is unwavering not because of our faithfulness but because of His faithfulness. We have placed our hope in Him “who raised Him(Jesus) from the dead and gave Him glory, so that your faith and hope are in God.” (1 Pt 1:21)

Hope produces an optimistic positive outlook on life, even if we face chronic ailments, because our hope is not fueled by the fleeting health of physical life. Our hope is fueled by the power of the Holy Spirit. The power of our hope gives us joy and hope in this life. In fact, it goes beyond this life and looks toward eternal life in heaven.

Expectations and Hope – Biblical Hope

2009-08-26T21:54:00.002-05:00

In my opinion, nowhere in the scriptures are we promised physical healing. “By His stripes we are healed” is an absolute when applied to salvation. But never in scripture and definitely not in real life experience is healing an absolute promise when applied to physical healing. If this text was meant to be taken as physical healing then every believer should be healed of every physical ailment. Heart diseases, asthma, allergies, deformities, poor eyesight, hearing loss, stroke, toenail fungus, etc. and it doesn’t say healing is possible if the individual has enough faith. It says “by His stripes.”

It is true, I believe, that the human body is fearfully and wonderfully made. Before sin had its accumulative effect on the universe man might live over nine hundred years. As our environment became more and more devastated by sin the life span of man declined. At some point it seems that God stopped the utter destructional force of sin and limited the life span of man. A Psalm of Moses is Psalm 90. In it Moses indicates this decline and limit. Verse 10 says, “As for the days of our life, they contain seventy years, or if due to strength, eighty years.” God is not promising that every human will live to 70 years or only 70-80 years. Moses’ Psalm is to instruct us of God’s eternal existence and man’s temporary existence. Very few people live to be over 100 years old. It appears that God halted the decline and limited the span of human life to an average of 70-80 years. I am glad that in my suffering God has limited my days and it won’t be 900 years!

When the body is treated well and taken care of in a proper way it has a better chance of being what God created it to be. When fed the right nutrients, minerals, and vitamins the immune system will probably be stronger and be more effective in fighting off infection and disease. Still, there are genetics that are part of our lives that have an effect on our health. There is the fact that sin has corrupted our universe and the whole world awaits its redemption. Since we live in this fallen environment it is only reasonable that we will be physically affected by its corruption. It is unreasonable to expect that God would shield all Christians from the fallen environment that man caused to be fallen.

It is a foolish and false expectation to believe that God will always keep the Christian with faith well or heal him if he is sick and assure him of at least 70 years. That’s the kind of expectation that leads to disappointment and disillusionment. That’s the kind of expectation that produces confusion in the Christian community as well as for the non-believer.

Okay, be that as it may, what do we have to hope for? Hope, as I have claimed, is different than expectation. Our hope is in Jesus Christ. Our hope is in the truth of the Word of God. Here are just three of the things chronically ill believers, as well as all believers, can hope for:

1. “Christ in you, the hope of glory.” (Col 1:27) The very presence of Christ is always with me and wherever I am He is present. He is as present in me and with me when I am unable to get out of bed because of illness as He is when I am preaching. His presence is a reality of hope not an existential experience of emotions. The hope of His presence is promised over and over again. “I WILL NEVER DESERT YOU, NOR WILL I EVER FORSAKE YOU,” (Heb 13:5) Jesus said “I am with you always.” (Matt 28:20) Sick or well the miracle of the New Covenant is not a physical covenant but a spiritual one. The miracle and mystery of Christianity is Emmanuel, God with us. The hope of His presence is an assurance the scriptures give us. “But if the Spirit of Him who raised Jesus from the dead dwells in you, He who raised Christ Jesus from the dead will also give life to your mortal bodies through His Spirit who dwells in you.” (Rom 8:11)

2. Psalm 39:7 says “My hope is in Thee.” The “Thee” is our Almighty Sovereign God. His sovereignty assures me that all my life is in His control. The Psalm before is a Psalm of David about the fleetingness and vanity of our lives. In God’s eternal sovereignty our lives are transient, temporary, “a mere breath.” Yet, in His sovereignty we are absolutely assured that whatever happens in our lives He can sovereignly use it for good because in His sovereignty He has predestined us to be conformed to the image of His Son and our Lord, Jesus Christ. In his sovereignty we can trust that He deals with His children through a sovereign hand of love, grace, and mercy. We are not left to suffer without hope as the world suffers. If my suffering is in His plan to conform me to the image of Jesus then my suffering has purpose. I can hold on to His sovereign purpose. I can live with hope in His purpose. “We who have taken refuge would have strong encouragement to take hold of the hope set before us. This hope we have as an anchor of the soul, a hope both sure and steadfast and one which enters within the veil, where Jesus has entered as a forerunner for us, having become a high priest forever according to the order of Melchizedek.” (Heb 6:18-20)

3. Hebrews 11:1 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen.” The hope that we have is not the fairy tales of expectations but the reality of those that that have gone before us. They proved the faithfulness of God even in the lives of those who suffer. The Hall of Faith is highlighted with real people who suffered. People like Abel who was murdered, Noah, Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Sarah, Joseph, Moses, and many others. “They were stoned, they were sawn in two, they were tempted, they were put to death with the sword; they went about in sheepskins, in goatskins, being destitute, afflicted, ill-treated (men of whom the world was not worthy), wandering in deserts and mountains and caves and holes in the ground.” (Heb 11:37-38) “All these died in faith, without receiving the promises.” (Heb 11:13) These great men and women of faith hoped and “gained approval through their faith.” (11:39) God said through the Prophet Jeremiah “For I know the plans that I have for you,’ declares the LORD, ‘plans for welfare and not for calamity to give you a future and a hope.” (29:11) Our hope is nothing less. Did you catch that word towards the end of verse 37, “Afflicted?” Some of these were people just like you and me who suffer from ailments. The most important thing is not whether they received physical healing or not BUT that they “died in the faith!” “Whatever was written in earlier times was written for our instruction, so that through perseverance and the encouragement of the Scriptures we might have hope.” (Rom 15:4)

Expectations and Hope -- Hope Does Not Disappoint

2009-08-20T22:51:00.002-05:00

When we have unfounded expectations for healing we will ultimately have to reconcile our false beliefs with the truth of God’s Word. Sometimes when expectation meets truth we don’t chose either one but turn our back on both. The one (expectation) has let us down and we don’t really like the truth that faces us. So, we turn our back on both.

Most of the time, this happens because we hid in the shame that accompanies the unmet expectations. Expectations hid in shame. Biblical hope lives in joy.

For the sufferer this distinction is the difference between life and death, peace and turmoil, contentment and confusion, anger and joy. Failed expectations will ultimately produce anger. When we are shame filled believers we are experts at hiding that anger from others and even ourselves. Yet, down deep inside and sometimes not so deep there is a turbulent of anger at the injustice of unmet expectations. A sufferer hears of God healing others and wonders, “Why not me?” Some well meaning Christian friend (like Job’s friends) will blame and shame with a prescription for deeper prayers and more faith. Anger grows. Since, in most Christian circles, anger is considered unspiritual we try our best to hid it while feeling shame because it is there. Expectations are coping mechanisms that prescribe false hope and leaves devastation in their wake. As you can see a vicious cycle is the result of this belief system.

Biblical hope, on the other hand, will ultimately produce real joy. Peter wrote that we are to “fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ.” (1 Pe 1:13) Hope is an absolute confidence in a personal relationship with the sovereign God Almighty and His ability to love me unconditionally and completely, to always be moving toward me in His goodness, and promises to me eternal life. Jesus Christ is the embodiment of our hope. “Christ Jesus, our hope,. (1 Tim 1:1) Paul’s salutation to the church at Rome was “Now may the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you will abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” (Ro 15:13) Now remember that there is a huge difference between joy and happiness. Happiness depends on circumstances. It comes and goes with moments that bring an emotional reaction to certain types of events. Joy is the deep seated reality of the presence and peace of Jesus. Jesus said that He came that we might share in His joy and thus our joy be made full.

In suffering, the scriptures describe Jesus as knowing “the joy set before Him endured the cross.” (Heb 12:2) A courageous endurance is a virtue born out of a hope that focuses on the future and a steadfast hope that endures the present. Joy is a deep-rooted attitude of the heart and since it lives in reality it can co-exist with physical suffering. “The joy of the LORD is your strength.” (Neh 8:10)

While suffering physically a sufferer may go through a gamut of emotions. Feelings of a loss of control (as if we ever have control), feelings of helplessness, rejection, anger, disappointment, depression, etc. are all normal emotions of the chronic ill. Expectations can co-exist with physical suffering until they are not met. Then the feelings are left to exist in the disillusion that is left.

Since hope is based on truth and truth will always set you free, it (hope) can co-exist with normal feelings of the sufferer. Job said, “Though He slay me, I will hope in Him.” (13:15) Hope does not fail even when facing death. Paul set a sequence in Romans 5: justification by faith equals peace with God; we now stand in grace; knowledge of justification, faith, peace, and grace gives us the ability to exult in our tribulations because we know that they bring about in us a perseverance that produces a proven character; proven character is based in hope. Unlike expectations, “hope does not disappoint.”

Expectations and Hope -- Expectations Produce Confusion

2009-08-18T12:54:00.001-05:00

If there is a belief system that projects a God who always wants His children to be healthy then it is reasonable to have an expectation for healing when ill. Although this belief system is very much propagated in large Christian circles today, we all know cases where healing has not come. In these cases we have two options: either God has failed or there is something wrong with the person (which leads back to shame).

In this type of belief system expectations of healing are more times than not met with disappointment at best and disenfranchised at worse. If God does not heal, discouragement is your best results, disillusionment with God is next, and repugnance is just around the corner.

When healing is expected and doesn’t come shame is embedded deeper and a disappointment in God infects the spirit. When shame and disappointment are bred together the results is a lack of trust. If illness is caused by an attack of Satan and his demons and that person is not healed we are left with a God who is too weak to defeat Satan and demons. If illness is a result of personal sinfulness and upon repentance that person is not healed we are left with a God who does not forgive. No matter what causes illness if we always expect God to heal and He fails one time we cannot trust Him, totally.

Job’s friends were of the mindset that the reason Job was suffering was because he somehow had sinned against God. If you read their words of “comfort” to Job you will find blame and shame. The reason is because in their belief system either God was wrong in allowing Job to suffer in his righteousness (and God can’t be wrong) or Job was wrong somewhere in his relationship with God. Their belief system had boxed them in and there was no other way out.

When faced with this belief system some people will hold to the righteousness of God while others will “lose” their faith in God. Some spend a lifetime of suffering in shame while continuing to worship God. Others let the shame turn them away from worshiping God. Yet, in either case it is not God that they are holding on to or departing from. It is their belief system about God. Maybe their belief system is skewed.

The expectation belief system is probably injected into most, if not all, American Christian belief systems. Some are injected with massive doses of expectations and others with minute amounts. I say this because in all walks of Christianity, that I have been around, there is always the prayer and encouragement for healing for the one who is struggling with health issues. We seem to be uncomfortable with the reality that the physical body is an earthen vessel that fails. We are definitely uneasy with the fact “that flesh and blood cannot inherit the kingdom of God; nor does the perishable inherit the imperishable….this mortal must put on immortality.” (1 Cor 15:50, 53) If we could live perfectly healthy lives wouldn’t the same outcome of death still await us? And isn’t physical death an outcome of our earthen tent being torn down?

Now, I’m not saying that prayers and encouragement for healing are wrong. I pray for healing every day, for myself and others. But when our every prayer concerning physical health is healing it may indicate a default belief setting about health and healing that can create expectations. To illustrate my point: if the “thorn in the flesh” that Paul experienced in 2 Corinthians 12 was a physical ailment of some kind, he said he prayed for healing three times and God’s answer was to stop praying for healing because His grace was sufficient in Paul’s weakness. Can you imagine Paul in a typical prayer meeting today in America? He might share concerning his “thorn in the flesh” and then might say something like, “Please don’t pray for healing for that would be praying against what God’s desire is for me. Pray that I learn and live out how God’s grace is sufficient in my weakness.”

I think that would probably be a short prayer meeting. We would try to instruct Paul that surely God wants him to be healed so that he could testify of God’s miraculous healing power. Besides that, Paul, just think of how much more you could do for the Lord if you didn’t have this “thorn in the flesh” holding you back.

Since we almost always pray for physical healing might there be at least a subconscious belief system that would lead us to have an expectation of God that might not be of God at all? It seems to me that Biblical hope is totally different than human expectation. Biblical hope is based on the truth of God while human expectation is based on a belief system that has been formulated about God. In some cases, in my life, I have discovered that it is like the difference between the person of Jesus in the Gospels (truth) and the Pharisees (my belief system about God). The truth confronts my beliefs and hope confronts my expectations.

Biblical hope is a deep faith in Who God is regardless of what happens. Expectations live in a lie, make believe world, fantasy. Hope lives in reality and truth. Hope is founded on the assurance of truth. Expectation is founded on what I want to happen. Hope produces faith. Expectations produce confusion.

Hang with me on these thoughts. Comments are welcome.

More to come later.

Expectations and Hope -- Suffering is not Shameful

2009-08-16T17:59:00.002-05:00

Over the next few post I will be looking at the difference between expectations and hope as they relate to suffering. This came out of a personal devotion time that turned into a group devotion time on the deck of Roger and Bonnie Hayslip’s in Golden, Colorado. Involved in the devotional think tank with me were Estela, Roger and Bonnie along with their son Brandon, and Dave and Luanne Hook. Since Bonnie and I suffer from chronic ailments this devotional time with lots of input really helped us both. I will not try to remember or give credit to who said what. Just know that all this came from all involved.

Proverbs 10:28 seems to be a good theme verse for this devotion. “The hope of the righteous is gladness, But the expectation of the wicked perishes.”

Suffering is not Shameful

Shame is the underlying foundational emotional motivator of humankind. It is my belief that shame is the first negative emotion spurned by sin in the Garden of Eden. Before sin, man and woman were naked and not ashamed. The first thing after sinning they saw their nakedness in a new knowledge and hid their nakedness with fig leaves. It seems to me that the new knowledge created a shameful feeling and a response to try to cover their shame in hiding. God covered their shame by sacrificing an innocent animal and making clothes out of the animal skin. Yet, shame is still skin deep in mankind.

When a Christian suffers, particularly from health issues, it is built into their sin nature to feel a sense of shame. Why am I suffering? What did I do that was so bad that I have to go through this suffering? Is this punishment? Am I being disciplined by God? I must be a bad seed. Somehow, I know I’m to blame for this.

The patron saint of suffering is Job. The Bible says “Job opened his mouth and cursed the day of his birth.” (Job 3:1) Job cried out, “Have I sinned? What have I done to You, O watcher of men? Why have You set me as Your target, So that I am a burden to myself?” (7:20) “I loathe my own life.” (10:1) “I am a joke to my friends.” (12:4) “I am one at whom men spit.” (17:6)

Yes, Job stayed true and faithful but can you hear the shame in his voice. When suffering there is not only the battle of physical health, but also there is the battle of shame and faith. It’s as if shame and faith are the two sides of the same coin. Some days you flip it and it comes up shame. Other times it comes up faith.

The shame of sin was temporarily covered by God in the Garden with an animal skin. In Christ not only have we been clothed in an eternal covering but we have been “crucified with Him, in order that our body of sin might be done away with, so that we would no longer be slaves to sin.” (Rom 5:6) Shame is the result of sin and results in the death spoken of in Genesis 1-3. So, when Paul speaks of the believer continuing in sin he says “what benefit were you then deriving from the things of which you are now ashamed? For the outcome of those things is death. But now having been freed from sin and enslaved to God, you derive your benefit, resulting in sanctification, and the outcome, eternal life.” (Ro 6:21-22) Jesus’ word to the church at Laodicea is “I advise you to buy from Me gold refined by fire so that you may become rich, and white garments so that you may clothe yourself, and that the shame of your nakedness will not be revealed” (Rev 3:18)

“Therefore there is now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.” (Rom 8:1) The cause of shame has been eradicated on the Cross and, now, though there is still a battle within, shame is a lie of the Devil. We are to live our lives “fixing our eyes on Jesus, the author and perfecter of faith, who for the joy set before Him endured the cross, despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” (Heb 12:2) He bore the shame so we don’t have to.

So, I’ll say it again, there is no shame in suffering for the Christian. Sometimes we do things that are shameful for a Christian to do but God does not shame us. God does not shame us because Christ died once for all and it was totally completely absolutely perfectly utterly sufficient. The scriptures say that if someone who has been saved were able to lose his salvation it would be “impossible to renew them again to repentance, since they again crucify to themselves the Son of God and put Him to open shame.” (Heb 6:6) If that be the case, it seems to me, that if God shamed those who have already been saved from sin and shame He, too, would be saying that what Jesus did on the Cross was not sufficient to totally completely absolutely perfectly utterly save that person.

“Having been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ.” (Rom 5:1) When there is peace there is no shame. If you’re a believer who is suffering and have a twinge of shame realize that feeling is not from God. There is a peace, contentment, in the presence of the Lord. Thus, peace in the midst of suffering can be experienced as we recognize the fact that the Lord is present in the suffering. He has not forsaken us. He has not left us to suffer without Him. There is no shame in suffering for the Christian.

In The Waiting Room

2009-08-14T11:16:00.002-05:00

As I write this I’m setting in the waiting room at my doctor’s office. I hate to wait! When we go to a doctor’s office they have a waiting room. That should be our first indicator that we are here not to see the doctor but to wait. And wait we do. Why? Because we believe there is something of value worth waiting for.

Sometimes when we want something or trying to determine the outcome of something we say, “Well, we’ll just have to wait and see.” There again we must wait. I hate waiting!

Life is full of waiting. We can’t wait to grow up. We can’t wait to get married. We can’t wait to go to college. We can’t wait to express to that special someone how much we love him/her. We can’t wait to get that big break that’s going to make us wealthy or famous. We can’t wait to retire. Yet, what we do is wait….wait…wait…and wait some more.

There are no fewer than eleven times that the psalmist instructs us to “wait on the Lord.” In the New Testament our waiting seems to be in relation to the return of Christ:

1 Cor 4:5
Therefore do not go on passing judgment before the time, but wait until the Lord comes who will both bring to light the things hidden in the darkness and disclose the motives of men’s hearts; and then each man’s praise will come to him from God.
Phil 3:20
For our citizenship is in heaven, from which also we eagerly wait for a Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ;
James 5:7
Therefore be patient, brethren, until the coming of the Lord. The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it, until it gets the early and late rains.
Jude 21
keep yourselves in the love of God, waiting anxiously for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life.

One of the things Jesus told His disciples while they waited in the Garden was to “Keep watching and praying that you may not enter into temptation; the spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak.” Watch for what? Pray for what? Like the disciples sometimes I sleep while I’m waiting. Other times I like to watch people while I’m waiting. People watching is a great non-exertion sport. Sometimes I watch TV while I’m waiting. Somehow I don’t think that is exactly what Jesus had in mind when He said “watch and pray.” Most of the time while I’m waiting I just grow increasingly impatient and agitated because of what I might be doing if I weren’t waiting.

Maybe one of the things Jesus meant is to watch and pray for an opportunity to benefit and bless others. Sometimes I think He means for me to watch my attitude and pray that I surrender all to Him in every situation. Other times it may be that He means for me to watch and pray as I look toward the future. Maybe I’m to wacth and pray for knowledge and wisdom to deal with whatever it is I’m waiting for.

To watch and pray while we wait means to stay alert and conscious of the presence and communication of God. We are to stay aware of the ever increasing imminent return of our Lord. “Be like men who are waiting for their master when he returns from the wedding feast, so that they may immediately open the door to him when he comes and knocks. Blessed are those slaves whom the master will find on the alert when he comes; truly I say to you, that he will gird himself to serve, and have them recline at the table, and will come up and wait on them.” (Lk. 12:36-37)

In an awareness of His sovereignty we are to stay alert of His return. We are to watch and pray while we wait for our King to return. I don’t think that means don’t sleep, don’t watch tv, don’t read magazines, don’t people watch, etc. But I do think it means always have in mind that He is coming again and it could be now.

After Jesus returns there will be no more waiting. The waiting room will no longer exist. Some people are waiting for something before they turn to Jesus. They’re waiting until they get through sowing their wild oats. Maybe they’re waiting on a spouse to change before they surrender all to the Lord. Sometimes waiting is necessary and other times it is just foolish and stubborn. Waiting can sometimes be self-inflected by ignoring what is at hand.

Yet, the thing about waiting is that it can be over at any second. When your name is called the waiting time is finished. The waiting time is decision time. All of us will someday hear our name called and we will go the way of death. Not a single one of us will escape it. Waiting time is preparation time. Accepting Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior is the only thing that will prepare you to face life after death. If you haven’t done that before your name is called it’s too late. Oh, wait, they just called my name. No more waiting.

The Joy of Discovery

2009-08-12T21:07:00.000-05:00

As I reflect back to Christmas morning, I think of the faces of our four grand kids as they unwrapped their presents. As is our family tradition, we gathered together on Christmas morning and read of the birth of our Savior from the Gospel of Luke. Then we turned the kids loose on their gifts.

Filled with anticipation and excitement they would tear the wrapping paper off to discover what’s inside. Their eyes would light up, their mouths and faces would be descriptive of their discovery. There was no fear of the wrapping. They were not afraid of what was inside. There was no hesitation in opening their gifts. Why? Because they knew that the hands that wrapped them were hands of love.

Christian growth in life is a little like that. Our lives are wrapped up with the wrappings of sin and self, hiding and protecting ourselves from being discovered. Sometimes the wrapping looks all pretty and admirable, and sometimes not so pretty.

Those who are afraid to unwrap their lives probably fear that inside they will find condemnation, punishment, and shame. Yet, the hands that wrapped us up into the person that we are were hands of love. As a believer, inside, we will always discover more of Jesus and more of His mercy, love, and grace.

Most of us, most of the time, just try to make the packages look nice. Wrap it all up and put a bow on it. Put new wrappings on ourselves so we look good and feel better about ourselves. Most of our lives are spent rearranging the packages under the tree but never having Christmas morning. Never opening the packages to find the gifts. How sad!

Every time I tear off another layer of wrapping in my life I find more of Jesus and His grace inside. Why do I fear the wrappings or fear tearing them off to discover the gift? Everyday is Christmas when we discover that the gift inside is always Jesus.

1 John 4:18 "There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love."

Are You Prepared

2009-08-11T16:49:00.001-05:00

The National Weather Service tells us that the height of tornadoes season is March through June. Meteorologist recommend that every household have a plan and a preparedness kit in the case of tornado activity. "It doesn’t have to be springtime, you’ve got to be ready no matter what," one meteorologist said. The plan should entail where you will go if a tornado is coming your way. Will you go to a safe room, underground shelter, community shelter, or the most interior room in your house? Your preparedness kit should contain at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food, a battery operated radio or television, flashlights, blankets, shoes, and a set of car keys. These specialist recommend that the time to make your plan and prepare your kit is before the storm hits.

It probably is a good thing to be prepared for the storm even if the storm never hits home. You might live you whole life and never be the victim of a tornado (even in Oklahoma). Yet, better to be safe than sorry.

Though you may or may not experience a storm up close and personal, one thing for sure, you will experience the storms of life up close and personal. Most likely you will experience death and you will certainly experience some kind of life after. The Scriptures tell us that every person needs to have the plan and be prepared for life here and life after. Jesus tells us the plan, "I am the way, the truth and the life. No man comes to the Father except through me." Through His life we can be prepared for this life and the life after. Peter tells us the prophets of old looked into this salvation by grace. Now that it has been revealed to us we can get our preparedness kit ready. It is to consist of "gird your minds for action, keep sober in spirit, fix your hope completely on the grace to be brought to you at the revelation of Jesus Christ."

If the grace that has saved us and that we now live in is soooo amazing, . . . I guess words can not describe the next stage of grace we will encounter. Well, I guess there is one word. Heaven!

Keys To Not Losing Heart

2009-07-10T14:09:00.001-05:00

Click on the title and you will be redirected to the video of my message from July 5, 2009.

Enjoying Sovereignty

2009-06-19T21:55:00.002-05:00

Obviously, there are numerous things the Lord has taught me over the past 6 ½ years but I’ll share the 2 that seem to be renewing all the time. One is the foundation of His undeniable sovereignty. He is absolutely in control of our lives and regardless of what happens it is at the extending of His love and grace.

My heart attack was a God thing. It’s interesting that in popular Christianity in America we always say something is a God thing when it looks to us to be a good thing. If God’s ways are not our ways then we have to learn to see things His way. I contend that my heart attack and resulting damage is a grace gift from God.

Actually, I would say that all of life is a grace gift from God. Life is a journey of all kinds of circumstances and, in His sovereignty, every one of them is a gracious gift of God that is predestined to conform us to the image of Christ. We may categorize them as good and bad and in our sight that may be so, but, in the sovereignty of Father, Son, and Spirit every one of them is a special gift particularly designed by God to use for good in our lives. That good is always in the direction of becoming more like Jesus.

That leads me to the second thing I’ve learned from the Lord’s hand of grace and love---Enjoy. Jesus shares His joy with us so that our joy may be full. As a child of the King, life is to be enjoyed. And if we can see that His gifts are being used in our lives to conform us to the image of His Son then WOW! we can live life to its fullest and enjoy His gift of life in every situation.

Life is hard and I go through times of depression and frustration and anger and all the things that go along with living in this fallen earth suit and universe. Yet, even all of those things are His gifts and I can enjoy them. I enjoy life because I’m learning to enjoy Him. If my enjoyment of Him is only experienced when things are going good then what does that say of my relationship with Him. I am to love Him with all my heart, soul, mind, and strength. My heart is wavering, my soul weary, my mind weak, and my strength is wobbly. Nevertheless, I love Him with all that I am and learning to enjoy all my life with Him.

Thanks for letting me share His forever faithfulness.

Faith is the Victory

2009-05-01T20:32:00.000-05:00

Isn’t it interesting how we pray for peace that passes all understanding and when He gives it to us we don’t usually question why. Yet, when we have problems we can’t understand we cry out – Why? Why? Why? Why? We think we could deal with the problem better if we could just understand it. Its reason. Its purpose. Its source. Its….

Our problem is not problems or peace. It is faith! “Without faith it is impossible to please Him.” (Heb 11:6) If we have faith in times of peace without understanding then the test is to have the same faith in times of problems without understanding. We think we want to know why we have problems. Why God, is this happening to me? Why God, am I suffering? Why God, are you allowing this or that to come upon me or my loved one?

We want to eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil. We think if we could just know if what we’re going through is good or evil we could better deal with it. We suspect God is hiding something from us, something that would give us more control. If we just knew why then we could deal with it, or, at least, that is what we tell ourselves.

Or, are we listening to the Father of Lies. “Did God say you couldn’t know why, that you couldn’t even ask why? Did He tell you not to search for the why? God is keeping knowledge from you. Knowledge that will help you?”

Isn’t knowledge good for us? Wouldn’t knowing/understanding ‘why’ look better, sound better, and give us a sense of pride. When telling others about our problems wouldn’t it be better to be able to say, “God told me that I’m suffering because….” From the world’s perspective, there are shades of shame in not knowing why (Read the book of Job). There must be a reason for your suffering. Shame is placed on us when we suffer without knowing why. Especially as a Christian, we can feel a sense of shame when we go through problems.

Kernels of truth mixed with the lie. God never said it is wrong to search for the why. Still, we think we need knowledge/understanding but what we need is faith/trust. Seeking for knowledge/understanding of why is not a bad thing when the search is resting on faith.

How do we know if our search is resting in faith? If the search is void of answers, or an answer that satisfies you, is faith still there? Is there still a rest in faith? Or, is there a heart of doubt in God? The same question can be asked from either a heart of doubt or a heart of faith (Lk. 1:18, 34). Does the search for why drive us beyond faith? Peace is a product of faith. Do you have peace in the midst of the search for understanding? Do you have peace when the answer to ‘why?’ is no? You do know, don’t you, that ‘no’ is as legitimate an answer as ‘yes’? Is your peace dependent on gaining understanding? “God, if I just knew.” Can you live in peace if you stop the search? If you are being shamed for suffering can you rest in faith (Job 19:25)? Is shame driving the desire for knowledge/understanding?

When seconds of waiting, searching, waiting turns into minutes, minutes turn into hours, hours turn into days, days turn into weeks, weeks turn into months, months turn into years, and years turn into decades does faith prevail over moments of doubt? Does peace fill moments of disillusions, disappointments, and despair? Does rest overpower moments of bitterness, anger, and distrust?

“This is the victory that has overcome the world—our faith.” (1 Jn 5:4)

Six Years

2008-11-18T08:14:00.001-06:00

November 16, 2002 Code Blue
November 16, 2008 Celebrating Life

Six Years
Life Has Changed
God Has Grown Larger
Our Capacity To Understand Has Increased

Six Years
Love Has Deepened
Togetherness Has Grown Sweeter
Family Has Become More Treasured

Six Years
Gratitude Is Felt
Appreciation Runs Deep
Giving Thanks To You Never Gets Old

Attitude of Prayer

2008-02-03T19:20:00.000-06:00

Romans 8:26f says one of our weaknesses is that “we do not know how to pray as we should.” We only see this side of eternity. We see through selfish desires. Many time we want what will, as we see it, relieves us or the one for whom we supplicate of the most pain, stress, or trouble. We want what appears to be best. Yet, in every situation, in all reality, “we do not know how to pray as we should.”

Still, we are told to pray. To pray with faith. To pray about, for, in every situation and for everything. In the midst of this life we can only fulfill this obedience in the limitations of the life that we live on this earth. In the limitations of our non-omniscient human state of being. Even after salvation we are faulty, fallible, and fickled, at best. We are being sanctified because we are not sanctified. Predestined-Justified-Glorified. Sanctification is the process.

We see, we hear, we desire, we assess, and we pray to the best of our knowledge, to the best of our purest motives, and, by faith, asking for the best outcome, as we see it. But in all reality we don’t know for sure that we are correct in our assessments. Our knowledge is incomplete. Our purest motives are tainted. We must not trust ourselves in a dogmatic way. We are not omniscient. We are not sovereign.

So, it occurs to me that the spirit of prayer is best established in the humble truth that we pray as we believe we should but only the Spirit can intercede according to the Omniscient. If this is the spirit or attitude behind our prayer life then whether the outcome is, by chance, as we have prayed or the outcome is completely the opposite of the way we have prayed, we can trust that God uses all things, all situations, all outcomes to the good of His purpose.

“Lord, I don’t know how to pray about this particular situation. I pray to the best of my knowledge and ability but my faith and trust and hope is not in the outcome as I pray concerning this circumstance. My faith, hope, trust is in you. As you bring about the outcome of this particular prayer request I trust that you will bring about good in Your own way and according to Your own will.”

This attitude recognizes and acknowledges that God is sovereign over all of life. It also recognizes and acknowledges the ongoing reality of our human weakness. We are not as smart as we think we are and we are incapable of figuring out the events and details of this life. We cannot oversee the purposes of the events and details and how they all connect together. Only a sovereign God can oversee and orchestrate the events and details of life and use all of them for the good of conforming our image to that of His Son, Jesus Christ. He alone can be “the Shepherd and Guardian of your souls.” (1 Peter 2:25)

Life is filled with triumphs and tragedies. If we are convinced that we know what’s best in any given situation and the event ends up going the opposite direction then we can become disillusioned with life. If we are convinced that we know, without doubt or by faith, what God’s direction is in any given situation and the events end up going the opposite direction then we can very easily become disillusioned with God. “How can God let something like this happen?”, “I just knew God would heal her.”, “I prayed so hard and God didn’t answer.”, “But we had so many people praying....”, are common questions and statements of disillusionment.

If we understand this attitude of prayer and it becomes a part of who we are, then the events, even the routine daily details of life are full of purpose. With this attitude our disillusionment with God or life may still come from time to time but they will be brought back into alignment with God’s sovereignty. Our faith and trust are in God, through Christ. He will bring His will to pass. I can trust Him. Every detail of every event has purpose. We can trust Him. He will cause every detail of every event to bring about the good of His purpose–developing believers to be more Christ-like in every way.

A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Airport!

2008-01-26T16:26:00.000-06:00

(This is a true story. I wrote it in May 2005 a few days after it happened.)

After going through a couple of days of testing at Abbott Northwestern Hospital in Minneapolis, MN Estela and I headed for the airport in hopes of catching an early flight back home. After ramping onto southbound I35 I began to drive 65-70 MPH. The speed limit is 55 MPH. I was passing vehicles but there were also vehicles passing me. Then I noticed this SUV pull along the passenger side of our rented SUV. Looking over I could see that the person driving was some kind of officer. Could have been a police officer or security officer or some other type of officer. This vehicle rapidly slowed down and pulled in right behind me. I thought for sure it was an unmarked police SUV and any second the lights would go on and I was going to get a ticket. There goes the earlier flight. But no lights came on. Other vehicles were speeding past us, so I assumed he was not interested in speeders. I could see the driver in my mirror and noticed that he was on his cell phone. Every lane change I made he made right behind me. When we took I494 East he followed. I changed lanes an he would even speed up and cut off someone else in order to get right behind me. I was concerned but I didn’t say anything to Estela because I didn’t want to alarm her. But when he followed us into the airport and then stayed right behind us as we took the rental car return ramp, I told Estela that this guy has been following us since we got on the highway at the hospital.

As we pulled into our rental car company’s parking lot on the second floor of the parking garage the other SUV pulled up beside us on the driver side. It was just past noon, about 12:10, and the early fight left at 1:05. Needless to say we were in a hurry. I turned our vehicle off grabbed the keys and the rental contracted and opened the door in a hurry to get out.

At that time the officer in the SUV was getting out and said, “Sir, stay in the vehicle!” While still on his cell phone, he moved to the front of our SUV and his partner moved to the back. They both were holding these little black boxes that were about the size of a palm pilot but they had a red light on top. He instructed me to put the keys on the dash and remain in the vehicle. Soon a police car pulled in behind us and two more officers were coming toward us from our left. The officer who pulled in behind us came to my opened door and asked me to step to the rear of the vehicle. Standing several feet away from me he began to question me and I noticed that his patch identified him as Minneapolis-St. Paul Airport Police. “What do you do for a living?” “Where are you from?” I had on my jeans, boots, and a black cowboy hat. I guess he figured I wasn’t from Minneapolis. Or, maybe it was my accent that gave me away. “Where are you going?” “Where are you coming from?” At which, I answered, Abbott Northwestern Hospital. “What were you doing there?” Going through test. “Why were you being tested?” I have a weak heart and I am in a research program there to try and strengthen it. “What was the doctor’s name?” “Were you injected with any type of radioactive material?” Yes. And I showed him the needle marks. “What was it?” I don’t know. While he was questioning me the officer who had been driving the SUV was questioning Estela. They took both of our drivers license and ran checks on us.

Well, what had happened was when we passed the SUV on I35 their Geiger counters went off detecting radioactive emission coming from our SUV (with tinted windows). The officers were with U.S. Customs a Department of Homeland Security. Not knowing if we had some nuclear device or what, they just chose to follow us. Then when we pulled into the airport you can imagine what might have been going through their minds. Now, here they were all around us – several Airport Police and two U.S. Customs agents. And then....

Walking up the garage ramp came two Firefighters decked out in full gear including oxygen tanks. One of them was waving a Geiger counter back and fourth (like a Sci-Fi movie). Coming toward me the Geiger counter goes off and pegs the needle. The woman firefighter said “You’re hot.” Estela has a tendency to agree with her but I’m not sure they are talking about the same thing. They made the rental car attendants move vehicles away from us and they wouldn’t let anyone coming through the parking garage get close to us. It was cold so they let me get back in our SUV and turn the heater on. The stress had pretty well wiped me out. I told Estela, “Someday this will be funny but right now it isn’t.”

The U.S. Customs agent said they couldn’t let us go until they could specifically identify exactly what was inside me. They had to know if it was industrial or medical radioactive material. It was a matter of Homeland Security. So, two more Customs agents came in an equipment truck and took out another machine that looked like the firefighter’s Geiger counter but this one had a digital read out. They pointed it toward me for about a minute and then it told them exactly what isotope was in me. When it identified a medical isotope all relaxed and dispersed except for the Customs agents. Finally, after we had been detained for about an hour and a half it was all over. They apologized for us missing our early flight and they came up and shook our hands and thanked us for being so patient and understanding. Up until then they stayed about ten feet away from us because I was emitting such a high degree of radioactivity.

So, be comforted that our government’s agents are out there, have impressive equipment, and are doing their jobs professionally, politely, and proficiently. Then again, it is kind of concerning that the medical test I go through puts that much radioactive material inside me. Although it can set off alarms and register as high as a Geiger counter can detect, they assure me it won’t harm me.

What if the life of Christ emitted from our relationships in a similar fashion?

The Joy of Discovery

2008-01-06T14:36:00.000-06:00

As I reflect back to Christmas morning, I think of the faces of our four grand kids as they unwrapped their presents. As is our family tradition, we gathered together on Christmas morning and read of the birth of our Savior from the Gospel of Luke. Then we turned the kids loose on their gifts.

Filled with anticipation and excitement they would tear the wrapping paper off to discover what’s inside. Their eyes would light up, their mouths and faces would be descriptive of their discovery. There was no fear of the wrapping. They were not afraid of what was inside. There was no hesitation in opening their gifts. Why? Because they knew that the hands that wrapped them were hands of love.

Christian growth in life is a little like that. Our lives are wrapped up with the wrappings of sin and self, hiding and protecting ourselves from being discovered. Sometimes the wrapping looks all pretty and admirable, and sometimes not so pretty.

Those who are afraid to unwrap their lives probably fear that inside they will find condemnation, punishment, and shame. Yet, the hands that wrapped us up into the person that we are were hands of love. As a believer, inside, we will always discover more of Jesus and more of His mercy, love, and grace.

Most of us, most of the time, just try to make the packages look nice. Wrap it all up and put a bow on it. Put new wrappings on ourselves so we look good and feel better about ourselves. Most of our lives are spent rearranging the packages under the tree but never having Christmas morning. Never opening the packages to find the gifts. How sad!

Every time I tear off another layer of wrapping in my life I find more of Jesus and His grace inside. Why do I fear the wrappings or fear tearing them off to discover the gift? Everyday is Christmas when we discover that the gift inside is always Jesus.

1 John 4:18 (NASB95)
“There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear, because fear involves punishment, and the one who fears is not perfected in love.”

Merry Christmas & Happy New Years

2007-12-19T19:15:00.001-06:00

We pray that 2007 has been a blessed year for you and yours. It certainly has been for the Andrews’. God is good all the time and All the time God is good! All that comes upon us cannot prevent nor hinder His love, mercy, and grace from ministering His life to us. Everyday is another opportunity for God to display His glory and to give us peace that passes all understanding. We praise Him upon our every remembrance of you.

As you can see, the grand kids are growing and doing great. Our kids are doing great, as well. From youngest to oldest – Stephen continues as a cabinet maker and trim carpenter. He lives with us and is not only helping around the house but in making the payments, too. We are grateful for his help. Most importantly, we are grateful to the Lord for doing a great work of grace in Stephen’s life this year, calling him back to Himself. It is a joy to see the life of Christ becoming relationally real to him over the past 10-12 months.

Cathy and her family (Lloyd, Victoria [4], & Jacob [3]) are preparing to purchase their first house. It is being finished up and should be ready to move into in the next few weeks. Lloyd works for Schlumberger and Cathy works part-time for Pearl Vision as an optician.

Chrissy and her family (Michael, Michaela [4], & Isabella [3]) are doing well. Chrissy has been accepted into a nursing program at a local community college. Her goal is to become an RN and then continue to a Master’s Degree and become a Nurse Practitioner. Michael works for Dell Computers.

Estela continues to be “super woman”, working at the dental office, preparing and selling meals weekly, taking care of Chuck, seasonally decorating the house, cooking for the family, and being the world’s best Nana. WOW! Yes, she is amazing. And, on top of all that, she’s as beautiful as always.

As most of you know, Chuck had to resign from pastoring in October 2006. He was placed on the national heart transplant list on April 14, 2007. He is listed as a Status 2, which means serious but not critical. He probably will not receive a heart until his conditions worsens. Status 1 is reserved for patients who are in life threatening situations. Humanly speaking, as Chuck’s condition deteriorates he will move up the list, sovereignly, as the Lord opens doors we will walk through.

For those of you who have given to the Andrews Benevolence Fund, we are more than grateful. The Lord has provided through the love and prayers of our family and friends. We praise our Lord and Savior for you and Emmanuel Baptist Church in Enid, OK for providing this fund as an avenue for those who want to give. The fund is still open and continues to help us.

We hope to hear from you and if you are in the area, please, come by and see us.

Chuck & Estela Andrews
3405 Pathway Circle
Norman, OK 73072

chuckandrews@cox.net
estela.andrews@gmail.com

Hm: 405-573-0493
Cell: 405-834-2444

To God Be The Glory
Great Things He Hath Done!!

A Picture Is Worth A Thousand Words

2007-12-11T10:57:00.001-06:00

This is not an attempt to assign motive but to interpret body language. Much like folded arms can indicate a posture of resistance, “the arm over the shoulder” can indicate an internal attitude with an external posture.

The posture of Dr. John Floyd, when discussing the victory of his leadership to censure Wade Burleson says a lot. If you have never experienced “the arm over the shoulder” posture then you may not recognize what is being communicated. With victory in the eyes and face of Dr. Floyd “the arm over the shoulder” communicates a sense of superiority, dominance, control. It is a common subtle gesture of shame and disgrace intent to be discrediting and degrading. It can be one of those subtle things of spiritual abuse.

Prayer: A Continuous Power

2007-06-18T07:32:00.000-05:00

When I think of prayer there are images that come into my mind. Hands together, a bowed head over a plate of food. Someone on their knees at an alter. A face with eyes closed with head and arms raised so as to be reaching out. A worship service where someone says “Let’s pray” and everyone bows their head and closes their eyes.

I think most people associate prayer with a physical action. But prayer has little to do with physical posture. In fact, the physical posture only has value if it is a response to the posture of our spirit. You see, prayer is simply communion with God through the means He provided, His Son, Jesus Christ. That’s what it means to pray in the name of Jesus. It is recognizing Jesus as the means through whom we are invited to come to God. “I am the way, and the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father but through Me” (Jn 14:6). To dare to speak to The Almighty, to commune with Him, to pray in Jesus name is to recognize He is Lord. It is to recognize his character. It is to call out for His salvation “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved” (Rom 10:13).

Communion is Communication–not only talking but listening. Read this text, it speaks of talking: “Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you” (Mt 7:7). This one speaks of listening: “But the Helper, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in My name, He will teach you all things, and bring to your remembrance all that I said to you” (Jn 14:26). Prayer is not only us bringing our request to God but listening, hearing what He says to us “My sheep hear My voice” (Jn 10:27). It is a conversation. God speaks to us through His word and Spirit. He communicates to our spirit and confirms who we are and whose we are “The Spirit Himself testifies with our spirit that we are children of God” (Rom 8:16). We communicate to God through our spirit, heart, mind, emotions, etc. Prayer is how we take “every thought captive to the obedience of Christ” (2 Cor 10:5). This communication may be verbal or silent, made with physical movement or just spiritual accent, may happen spontaneously or it can be a scheduled time of purpose. Regardless of how, where, or when, a prayer conversation is a two-way street with come and go traffic, with ebb and flow.

Communion is Openness–requiring honesty. “In the same way the Spirit also helps our weakness; for we do not know how to pray as we should, but the Spirit Himself intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words; and He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He intercedes for the saints according to the will of God” (Ro 8:26-27). Why not be open to God? We can’t hide anything from Him. Be honest about our weaknesses and that we really can’t even know our own hearts “The heart is more deceitful than all else And is desperately sick; Who can understand it?” (Jer 17:9). We can talk to God about anything and everything. And should! He knows us better than we know ourselves and He knows our thoughts before we even think them “Even before there is a word on my tongue, Behold, O Lord, You know it all“ (Ps 139:4). This kind of honesty is found in the psalmnist prayer “Search me, O God, and know my heart; Try me and know my anxious thoughts; And see if there be any hurtful way in me, And lead me in the everlasting way” (Ps 139:23-24)

Communion is Relational. When communion involves a superior to an inferior the inferior must be humbled by the fact that the superior would even allow the relationship. In the case of God, He not only allows it He initiates the relationship. “For God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish, but have eternal life” (Jn 3:16). “You did not choose Me but I chose you” (Jn 15:16). We are humbled because He invites

us to “draw near with confidence to the throne of grace, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help in time of need” (Heb 4:16). Prayer is based upon our relationship with God. We relate to Him on the basis of His mercy, love, and grace. Prayer must take these into consideration “God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you” (1 Pt 5:5-7). We are invited into His presence. Salvation is relational not religous. Jesus taught us to pray with this relationship in view “our Father who is in heaven” (Matt 6:9).

With this description of prayer, let me propose to you that prayer is not just something we do. Prayer is something we live because life is lived in communion with God. Everything we are and do is to be lived out in relationship with Jesus Christ. How else can we “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess 5:17). That means to live your life in an attitude of prayer. Prayer is living in the reality that He is with me no matter where I am or what I’m doing.

Living in an attitude of prayer is to live in a spiritual mind set. To be worldly is to derive my person, identity, pleasure, etc. from anything or anyone other than Jesus Christ. If the scripture forbids something then I’m not to do it. If the scripture commands me to do something then I am to do it. Everything else is an option within my particular relationship with Christ. Prayer is living life in complete communion with Jesus while experiencing the freedom that he gives “It was for freedom that Christ set us free; therefore keep standing firm and do not be subject again to a yoke of slavery” (Gal 5:1). Prayer is what keeps us living in freedom.

Experiencing prayer as a life attitude gives us the ability to live life to its fullest while assuring us that we are not being enslaved by sins of commission or omission. Now, it’s a good habit to physically express what is in my spirit. To humbly bow our head, close our eyes, kneel, prostrate ourselves, raise our hands, or whatever physical posture we feel led to take. It’s a good practice to schedule particular times that are dedicated to praying. It’s a good exercise in faith to keep a written list of prayer request and how God answered those request. All these are good but living a life of prayer is what will give your life a continuous power of the presence of Christ.

So, whether you are riding your bike or reading your Bible, whether you are smoking a cigar or singing a chorus, whether you are wrangling around with buddies or worshiping together in a church service, whether you are dressed in leathers or liturgical garb you live in a holy attitude of prayer. Communion with God in all situations. Communicating with Him. Letting Him read your life as an open book. Living out your relationship with Jesus. Letting others see Jesus in you.

Prayer is what keeps you sensitive to the mood and movement of the Spirit. It helps you discern the moment and method of the Spirit. An attitude of prayer is essential to living the Spirit filled life. Any ministry (preaching, witnessing, etc.) can be done in the power of the flesh or the power of the Spirit. Prayer is what divides the two. If you want to be a person who lives in the continuous power of the presence of Christ then be a person of prayer.

Find Out Who Your Friends Are

2007-05-04T09:50:00.000-05:00

What a Great Song to add to my post on Friendship.

Listen to the song on YouTube Here

Run your car off the side of the road
Get stuck in a ditch way out in the middle of nowhere
Get yourself in a bind lose the shirt off your back
Need a floor need a couch need a bus fare

This is where the rubber meets the road
This is where the cream is gonna rise
This is what you really didn't know
This is where the truth don't lie

{Chorus}
You find out who you're friends are
Somebody's gonna drop everything
Run out and crank up their car
Hit the gas get there fast
Never stop to think 'what's in it for me' or 'it's way too far'
They just show on up with their big old heart
You find out who you're friends are

Everybody wants to slap your back
wants to shake your hand
when you're up on top of that mountain
But let one of those rocks give way then you slide back down look up
and see who's around then

This ain't where the road comes to an end
This ain't where the bandwagon stops
This is just one of those times when
A lot of folks jump off

{Chorus}

When the water's high
When the weather's not so fair
When the well runs dry
Who's gonna be there

{Chorus}

Artist/Band: Tracy Lawrence
Lyrics for Song: Find Out Who Your Friends Are
Lyrics for Album: For the Love

Authority, Leadership, & Relationships

2007-04-17T10:32:00.001-05:00

After reading Paul Burleson’s post about Authority In The Local Church the following thoughts and ideas came to me.

In the Old Covenant people were born into their position of priest or king. Their authority was inherent in their person according to their birthright. Prophets were called into their positions of authority and a stereotypical personality doesn’t appear to be a prerequisite to the call. The following may show how historically culture has influenced our thinking in the matter of “authority” in the local church.

“The Divine Right of Kings states that a monarch owes his rule to the will of God, not to the will of his subjects, parliament, the aristocracy or any other competing authority. This doctrine continued with the claim that any attempt to depose a monarch or to restrict his powers ran contrary to the will of God.” Wikipedia

A Priest is defined as “One who is designated an authority on religious matters. In some churches, especially the Anglican Communion, Eastern Orthodox Church, and Roman Catholic Church, the ordained church leader who serves a congregation of believers is called a priest. The priests in these churches administer the sacraments, preach, and care for the needs of their congregations.” The American Heritage Dictionary of the English Language, 4th edition, published by Houghton Mifflin Company

A more evangelical term is Prophet. Defined by the The American Heritage Dictionary of the
English Language, 4th edition, published by Houghton Mifflin Company as
1. A person who speaks by divine inspiration or as the interpreter through whom the will of a god is expressed.
2. A person gifted with profound moral insight and exceptional powers of expression.
3. A predictor; a soothsayer.
4. The chief spokesperson of a movement or cause.

In most of the SBC pastoral training I’ve been through and, for that matter, most of the evangelical pastors I have been around have added these three historical cultural ideas together and come up with an understanding of their gift and calling. They owe their rule (kingship) to the will of God and to question their authority is to oppose the will of God. Though, confessionally, they verbally give ascent to the priesthood of the believer, they believe themselves to be ordained, educated, and authorized by God to administer the ordinances, preach, and be the all around expert on ministry. And when they speak it is as the inspired interpreter of God’s word and will, with irrefutable insight (because God told them), and they use oratorical persuasion to convince people that they are right. We are trained to hold the professional position of pastor. Rationally, biblically, spiritually, and culturally I could defend the “authority because of position and person” view and believed it whole heartedly. My identity was wrapped up in being a prophet, priest, and king--contemporarily, culturally, and sometimes compassionately called pastor. This historical cultural understanding has found its mate in this combined reproduction of prophet, priest, and king from the relics of Christianity.

There are some truths in this understanding—we do owe everything to the will of God; we do believe in the priesthood of the believer (at least in theory); and preaching is a ministry of inspiration, insight, and public speaking. Also, there is nothing wrong with being trained through education and mentoring. I don’t believe there is a problem with being a pastor professionally and doing everything you can to be the best pastor you can be. Diligently leading is not only commendable but commanded in the scriptures. In Romans 12:8 those who are gifted as leaders are to express that gift "with diligence." “The elders who rule (to lead out in care for) well are to be considered worthy of double honor, especially those who work hard (persistent strenuous labor) at preaching and teaching” (1 Ti 5:17).

Yet, more often than not, we are seduced by our own egos to swallow, hook-line-and-sinker, the historical cultural perception of authority. Pastors who are more concerned with authority than leadership use that perception to defend their authoritarian posture. In word or deed they say something like, “God has called me, ordained me, and anointed me so don’t question my authority. After all, I have a degree, license, and ordination hanging on the wall.” Then they throw in something like “It’s very dangerous to do anything against the Lord’s anointed.” Their authority and identity is postured in “I am the pastor!”

In support of this seduction, it seems that in today’s church growth movement, churches are looking for a savior who will redeem their church from irrelevancy, the next king who will lead them to kingdom growth (more numbers), a priest who will represent them before God, and a prophet who will confidently and effectively tell them God’s will for their lives. We are more than pleased to be that person, if we can, and if we can’t, we judge ourselves against those who can. What is pragmatically a pastoral health, wealth, and prosperity mindset comes through in our conventions and conferences, then it filters into our churches. Paraded before us are a few men, and fewer women, who are highly acclaimed because they are successful as defined by our culture. Then with all the right verbiage and pragmatic values we deceive ourselves into believing that if we can look, lead, and lecture like them we too will be successful as defined by our religious culture. The mindset becomes, God wants all pastors to be dynamic preachers, charismatic personalities, and gifted CEOs. He wants all churches to have continues numerical growth in attendance, finances, and ministries. If we’re not being that kind of pastor and if our church is not experiencing that kind of growth then it’s because we are not allowing God to develop us into the leader He wants us to be. Antiquity has become relevant in this post-modern cultural phenomenon.

Whether these values are by the Spirit or the flesh it makes no difference. Visible results are what matters. Today, in this Western culture, it is not uncommon for a local church to be developed and grow around a charismatic (not theologically but personality) pastor. With the advancement of electronics these types of pastors can become bigger than life being broadcast to multiple locations and reaching thousands through video and internet. Accordingly, pastors can begin to judge themselves in comparison to these bigger than life images. Also, churches can begin to judge their pastors by those they see on the internet, hear on the radio, watch on TV, or read from the Christian bookstore. Unfortunately, lay leaders can be seduced by their own egos to be a part of a “successful” church and become authoritarian toward pastors, too.

With this marriage of past and present the stage is set for a culturally acceptable form of spiritual abuse. In some circles it’s called “Pastoral Authority.” In other circles it is “Congregational Authority.” In my opinion, in all circles it is an “identity crisis.” Both, pastors and churches, are getting their identity from culture instead of from Jesus.

In the New Covenant we are all (re)born equal and called equally. Maybe at Christmas time we would do well to remember that the one whose birth we celebrate was born Savior, Prophet, Priest, and King. He alone has authority inherent in His Person and Position. He alone rules His kingdom. He alone fulfilled all the roles of the Old Covenant completely and perfectly. He alone absolutely and faultlessly represented God to people and people to God. He alone is the one and only God-Man. If the local church is His then He is her Authority. As our authority He is our identity.

There is to be a harmony and melody between pastors and people. Not a blind following due to authoritarian roles but a relationship built on personal knowledge, reputation and giftedness. Eugene Peterson interprets Hebrews 13:7 “Appreciate your pastoral leaders who gave you the Word of God. Take a good look at the way they live, and let their faithfulness instruct you, as well as their truthfulness. There should be a consistency that runs through us all. For Jesus doesn’t change—yesterday, today, tomorrow, he’s always totally himself.” Then in verse 17, “Be responsive to your pastoral leaders. Listen to their counsel. They are alert to the condition of your lives and work under the strict supervision of God. Contribute to the joy of their leadership, not its drudgery. Why would you want to make things harder for them?”

You see in this interpretation that a relationship between people and pastors is developed through a willingness of each to serve the other. Pastors receive a positive reception, responsiveness, and respect in direct proportion to their willingness to relate their lives to the congregation and employee their gifts in service to the congregation. Congregations are to give this positive reception, responsiveness, and respect as they, in relationship with their pastors, observe the identity of Jesus throughout the lives of their pastors. Christ is “seated far above all rule and authority and power and dominion” (Eph. 1:21) and as servants of His, we serve each other in “the fullness of Him who fills all in all” (Eph. 1:23). It is impossible to serve one another as is defined in Hebrews without people and pastor being in a growing relationship with each other. The bases of this relationship is a recognition that Christ is the Head and each submits to Him and that one is not more “full of Christ” than the other. In fact, maybe it takes “all” to experience the totality of the fullness of Christ since He “fills all in all.”

Regardless of the time period, churches don’t need another Savior, Prophet, Priest, or King. We need servants who will demonstrate Jesus, regardless of whether those servants are called pastors, elders, deacons, teachers, councils, leaders, committees, or members. May we all find our identity in Christ and learn to live in Christ. If we do, we will become servants like Christ. Then pastors and people will not be campaigning for authority but will be serving one another--accepting one another, respecting one another, appreciating one another, knowing one another.

Prayer When Words Won't Come

2007-03-05T19:38:00.000-06:00

O My Father, I have moments of deep unrest -- moments when I know not what to ask by reason of the very excess of my wants. I have in these hours no words for Thee, no conscious prayers for Thee. My cry seems purely worldly; I want only the wings of a dove that I may flee away. Yet all the time Thou has accepted my unrest as a prayer. Thou has interpreted its cry for a dove's wings as a cry for Thee, Thou has received the nameless longings of my heart as the intercessions of Thy Spirit. They are not yet the intercessions of my spirit; I know not what to ask. But Thou knowest what I ask, O my God. Thou knowest the name of that need which lies beneath my speechless groan. Thou knowest that, because I am made in Thine image, I can find rest only in what gives rest to Thee; therefore Thou hast counted my unrest unto me for righteousness, and has called my groaning Thy Spirit's prayer. Amen.

- Rev. George Matheson (1842-1906)

Friendship

2007-02-02T11:50:00.000-06:00

“Suppose one of you has a friend, and goes to him at midnight and says to him, ‘Friend, lend me three loaves;
6 for a friend of mine has come to me from a journey, and I have nothing to set before him’;
7 and from inside he answers and says, ‘Do not bother me; the door has already been shut and my children and I are in bed; I cannot get up and give you anything.’
8 “I tell you, even though he will not get up and give him anything because he is his friend, yet because of his persistence he will get up and give him as much as he needs.” (Luke 11:5-8)

Friendships are defined in a measurement of relationships. Our three year old granddaughters have already begun identifying some friends with the phrase “My best friend.” We have friends, good friends, and best fiends. When a friend disappoints us he/she is a “so called friend.” Friends who don’t help in the time of need are called “fair weather friends.”

Friendships are built or developed over time. For there to be a very close friendship there must be trust and, over time, trust is developed. Time spent observing, sharing, and uncovering layers of self-protection is essential to developing really close friendships.

A big struggle we all have is fear that after investing time and energy into building friendships we discover that the relationship is less than what we thought. Something bad happens and you call upon your friends for help. If they are truly friends they will help--no matter what. The implication of Jesus is, if one is a true friend it wouldn’t take a persistent pestering to get help. Also implied, the assumption of a friendship assumes the freedom for one to be a persistent pest, if the need is great enough. Yet, even if the need is significant, very few people like the feeling of being a pest (begging). Maybe this is a reason we don’t ask for help when we really need it. Asking could turn into a persistent pestering which would identify the shallowness of our relationship. We would rather live in a fairy-tale, make-believe world where all our friends are great friends and would do anything to help us and us them.

The problem with make-believe is real life can’t be lived there. Learning to live life to its fullest only comes with facing reality and choosing to live in reality. In this case, reality is: not all whom you call friends are truly friends. The scary part and sometimes hurtful part is discovering who is and who isn’t. The depth of friendship is determined by a mutual consideration. You may consider yourself a good friend and that if a particular person called with a need you would do everything within your power to help. Time. Money. Support. Encouragement. Whatever within your power, whether convenient or not. But if the other person is not mutual or reciprocal in that consideration you do not have that close of a relationship. This remark is not to place blame but to move into reality. No matter how painful this discovery may be it is worth it to live in reality.

You see, if there is trust between you and them, they would know you wouldn’t ask them to do anything that you wouldn’t do if the tables were turned. Or you would not ask them to do anything that would compromise them. Nor would you depend on them for help if it were not a real need.

Maybe part of the struggle is internal as you ask yourself “how good a friend am I?” If someone I call friend truly had a need would I help them. We say things like “whatever I have is yours” or “if there is anyway I can help let me know.” Yet, when it comes down to it, are we truly friends? Am I the type of person whose talk is cheap? Am I, in reality, a fair-weather friend? Are my friendships relationships of convenience? If I am to learn to live life then I must, in reality, answer these questions about myself as well as those I call friends.

Like an archeologist going through the difficult and dirty work of digging to find the valuable artifact-- discovering your friendship quotient and those who are true friends is difficult and dirty work. Going through the hard work of digging through relationships to discover the true friends is the only way to find the real thing. The value of the artifact to the archeologist determines the degree of willingness and work that he/she is prepared to go through to discover it. Yet, just as a skilled archeologist uses great care and sensitivity, this relational digging must be done with a soft, delicate, and graceful touch. The potential artifact in every relationship is discovering true friendship. A friendship that is mutual in giving and growing.

'Misfortune shows those who are not really friends.' –Aristotle

Aristotle’s words have proven to be true in my life. Misfortune happens and we have to call upon our friends for help. Then we are surprised by the reality of who proves to be a true friend and who proves to be a fair-weather friend. Close friends jump at the request to help, even if it is inconvenient. Those who through pestering finally fulfill the request may still be friends but they have identified themselves, in degree, by their willingness and speed of response. Fair-weather friends don’t even help after persistent pestering. Through the misfortune and the discovery process, I’ve had to face reality not only about myself but about others, too.

“Greater love has no one than this, that one lay down his life for his friends.” (John 15:13)

To lay down my life for a friend means a lot more than being willing to take a bullet for someone. Most of the time, it is just the willingness to, consistently, be. Be there. Be vulnerable. Be respectful. Be available. Be willing. Be all that you can be. In Christ, the good news is, I can choose what kind of friend I will be.

Learning to Live in Choices

2007-01-11T10:48:00.000-06:00

I had a twinge of guilt because I still have doubts about what God is doing within me. I mean, it’s like Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde inside me--Dr. Depression and Mr. Optimism cohabitate simultaneously within my mind and spirit. It seems that some days depression wakes me up, takes hold, and won’t let me go. Other days, optimism reigns without much thought. Most days, depression and optimism are like two sides of the same coin, they exist at the same time, come and go as they please, triggered by who knows what.

This life scenario caused me a moment of guilt during a praise chorus in church on December 31, 2006. Guilt for a moment, because the thought came to me that if faith really reigned in me then this doubt, frustration, depression wouldn’t be a day to day struggle.

Then I realized that this is life and living everyday is a choice. The ability to choose is present because the Holy Spirit is present. On days I struggle with depression, my depression doesn’t repel God. On days that confidence reigns, my confidence, contentment, cheeriness doesn’t draw God. He is present because of what Jesus did on my behalf. He has chosen me and because of that I have a choice.

My choice is not between depression and delight. There are events in life that the human response is delight or depression. Not to experience them is to live in denial of reality. In the midst of all things I can learn to live in His choiceful presence. He has chosen to be present in me, even in the doubting depression that disturbs me so deeply. I can learn to live in His love every moment of every day irrespective of the state of my emotions.

“I’m absolutely convinced that nothing—nothing living or dead, angelic or demonic, today or tomorrow, high or low, thinkable or unthinkable—absolutely nothing can get between us and God’s love because of the way that Jesus our Master has embraced us.” The Message (Ro 8:38)

Happy New Year's 2007

2007-01-01T10:20:00.000-06:00

The expression is Happy New Year’s. It is our verbal blessing that we give to one another wishing each other a coming year of happiness.

Estela and I went to see The Pursuit of Happyness on Saturday afternoon. As the movie points out, happiness is a pursuit—maybe that’s why Mr. Jefferson wrote it that way in the Constitution because happiness is something to be pursued and not attained but for brief moments. Those moments, ever how brief, give us not only the reward for the pursuit but a taste of a delicacy that creates a hunger that encourages us to continue the pursuit.

Happiness is our blessing to one another at the beginning of a New Year. It is our encouragement to one another to pursue. It is our desire for one another to experience the reward of that pursuit, ever how brief it may be. It is our exhortation to one another to hunger for that happiness and continue the pursuit no matter how hard the pursuit may be. It is our hope that if we continue this pursuit we will be rewarded with that brief encounter with happiness and that it will be worth it all when we do attain that happiness, ever how brief it may be.

The difference that Christ makes in our lives is that we don’t have to live in unhappiness in between those brief encounters of happiness. In Christ, hope is the state of our being. Joy is our choice between the earthly rewards of happiness. So, . . .

Happy New Year’s and may it be filled with joy.

Merry Christmas

2006-12-20T09:51:00.000-06:00

Merry Christmas and Happy New Years from Chuck & Estela

We pray this letter finds you doing well and receiving the gracious daily blessing of our Sovereign Lord and Savior. He is high and lifted up, ruling supremely upon His throne. He is in control, interceding on our behalf, and extending His all sufficient grace to all who learn to live in Him.

As you can see, the kids and grandkids are doing well. We love having them close and getting to see them weekly. The 2 older grandbabies will be 4 years old in March and the 2 younger ones just turned 2 years old in November and December. What a joy it is to watch them grow.

Estela thoroughly loves being Nana. She takes care of me, works at the dental office, and still finds the energy to take care of grandkids and cook for everyone. With some help from her mom and dad she cleaned up the garage and had a garage sale. She also found time to orchestrate a 50th Golden wedding anniversary party for her mom and dad on November 25. She is an amazing lady, a gift from God to me. Her outer beauty is only exceeded by the depth and genuineness of her inner beauty.

2006 has been a year of new experiences. We started out the year looking into a way I could make a living from home with very limited physical ability. It was becoming apparent that my health would not allow me to continue pastoring. I began to feel less and less energy through the summer and into the Fall. A visit with my cardiologist in late September led to an October 15 resignation from pastoring and a lot of prayer about looking at a heart transplant. Now, at 49, I’m officially retired due to medical disability (the hours are great but the pay is terrible). On December 12 I went through a full day (11 hours) of testing and evaluation at the Nazih Zuhdi Transplant Institute in Oklahoma City. I have a few more tests to go through but it appears right now that I will be placed on the transplant list toward the middle of January 2007. There is no way of knowing the wait period before I will actually be transplanted. There are just too many variables with organ availability, criteria for a match, and health of recipients. In order to pay for the post-transplant medications we will have to go through a fund raiser company because the meds are extremely expensive and I will have to take them for the rest of my life. So, undoubtedly, you will be hearing from us in the near future.

Our church, Grace Fellowship, is so unbelievably supportive of us. They have walked with us and carried us for the past 4 years. Although I had to resign in October, they have graciously extended my paycheck through December. They also established an Insurance Fund that will go toward paying for our health insurance. They have blessed us with their love and action.

Starting January 1 my income will be determined by my new business opportunity. The home business we found is called Escape International. Finding Escape has been a blessing from God. We are a marketing company that acquires new customers for our partners. We market for a VoIP residential and business phone service, all the major cell phone companies, DISH Network Satellite TV, some broadband internet providers, and a wellness company called Xymetri (incredible health products). After 27 years of pastoral ministry, it’s not easy to learn a business mindset. Sorry to use a Christmas letter to solicit business but time is short and we could sure use your help. So, will you go through me to get to these services and products? I can probably save you money and you can know that you are supporting Estela and me. Thank you. Are you interested in developing residual income with a part-time job? Check out the websites at http://www.escapeinternational.com and http://www.xymetri.com (Rep #424638) or http://www.escaperep.net/chuckandrews

“Whom have I in heaven but You?
And besides You, I desire nothing on earth.
My flesh and my heart may fail,
But God is the strength of my heart and my portion forever.
For, behold, those who are far from You will perish;
You have destroyed all those who are unfaithful to You.
But as for me, the nearness of God is my good;
I have made the Lord God my refuge,
That I may tell of all Your works.”
Psalms 73:25-28

Jesus Christ is the reason for the season.

“And the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us, and we saw His glory,
glory as of the only begotten from the Father, full of grace and truth.”
John 1:14

Philippians 3:7-14

2006-09-30T20:34:00.000-05:00

"There are so many things this side of heaven that I found my identity and value in. I believed in them all, but now I see them for what they are in comparison to Christ. More than just seeing them, I’ve actually lost most of them and, internally, I rescind all of them when understanding the ultimate value is knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. It’s okay that I’ve lost them, compared to gaining Christ and being found in Him (in life and death) everything else is like manure–not even close. Now, I’m not talking about having a relationship with Him derived from some religious idea. But being assigned with the righteousness of Christ through faith. The basis of this righteousness is a gift from God as is the faith through which it comes. What I value now is that I may know Him and the power of His resurrected life and that I may experience the totality of life, the one He suffered for me to have, and, that, in so doing, I’ll be molded by His death to self and obedience to God. The results of knowing Christ is the reality that I fully anticipate experiencing a physical resurrection.
I’m not saying I’m perfect, but I am moving forward in being everything Christ saved me to be. You know me better than to even think that I’m saying I’ve arrived, but you know, too, there is one thing that drives me: I don’t live in the past and I won’t let the past limit me, like a runner stretching for the finish line tape, I’m reaching forward for everything Christ has for me. I will press on toward the goal. I want the trophy, the prize when God calls me home. Jesus is the prize, the trophy. The call is in Christ. True life begins in Him and ends in Him. Let’s keep on living in and enjoying Him." (Philippians 3:7-14, Andrews Translation)

Who Would've Thought It?

2006-09-23T15:45:00.000-05:00

Who Would've Thought It?

Hi, my name is Chuck Andrews. I’m 49 years old, married, and live in Norman, OK. The picture is Estela, me, and our 4 grandchildren. After 26 years of pastoral ministry, I find myself at an unfamiliar crossroads. Due to my health I am unable to continue in a pastoral role. A heart attack in November 2002 has left me with massive heart damage. Our church, Grace Fellowship, has graciously and faithfully supported us for the past 4 years. They have stood with us through rehab and research and if it weren’t for failing health I would have no desire to do anything but pastor them. As God has redirected my life I have sought a way to provide a living for Estela and me. Maybe you can help me and save some money at the same time. If interested, you may even join with me in this remarkable company. Please, forward this blog to everyone you can. Thank you so much for your consideration and help.

I represent a viral marketing company named Escape International. Our company puts people in their own business and allows them to use the Internet and good 'ol word of mouth advertising to virally market products in trend setting industries. The present industries are communications, including VoIP, and health/wellness, which are two large and growing sectors of our economy.

So, basically what we do is allow people to buy products and services through the Internet that they are already purchasing but for LESS MONEY than they are currently paying. We market to save people money on phone services (residential & business), cell phones (residential & business), broadband internet (residential & business), and satellite TV. We also help people gain health, loose weight and feel better. Our household in Norman is saving around $100 per month just by going through Escape to get our services. That’s $1200 a year!

As a consumer I encourage you to take the time to investigate and you do the math. Going through our Products and Services site using my rep# (424638) and click-&-pick technology see what the savings are for you. Actually, you become a customer of the service provider but because you went through Escape you are assured that you are getting it for the best possible price.

To help you learn more about this FREE opportunity, we hold 23 live broadcasts per week (4 on Monday-Friday, 2 on Saturday, and 1 on Sunday). You can simply login to one of those broadcasts and find out exactly how this business works and exactly how you can profit from it. Each broadcast is about an hour in length. I would encourage you to do your due diligence and see if building an Escape International business would help you accomplish your future and financial goals.

Don’t miss the opportunity to watch one of our 23 live online broadcasts per week.
---Go to http://www.viralescape.com/ Check out the schedule for the times.
(We use a free application of Adobe Flash Player for the presentation. Be sure you have the latest version so you can effectively watch the presentation.)
---Click on LOGIN. You will be taken to a login page.
---Type in "Your First Name"-1-OK then click on Enter Meeting Room (password and room# are preset).
You may be asked to open and run a program and install a Conference Client. It’s a very small program and very safe.
---Wait, Watch, and Listen. The presenter will do a sound check and he/she will advance the slides.
At the end of the presentation there is a Q & A with the live presenter.

As our President and CEO, David Rutz, says, “The RAT RACE has the American people trapped.” Here is your chance to escape. With a FREE proven training system and unmatchable compensation plan this is an awesome opportunity to get in on a viral marketing network and provide fast cash flow and a lasting residual income. I have no doubt that we can help you reach your goal, whether it is money, security, independence, more family time, or all of the above.

Five things that will immediately show you that Escape is different:
1. Everyone joins for FREE.
2. All our training is FREE. (3 live broadcasts per week & hours of downloadable MP3 files).
3. No Breakaways.
4. No Annual Fees.
5. No Inventory.

I seriously encourage you to check out our website. If nothing else we can save you money every month on things you already spend money on.

Feel free to contact me.

Have a great day,

Chuck Andrews
chuckandrews@escapebusiness.com
Rep# 424638
Independent Representative with Escape International
http://www.escapeinternational.com/

http://www.chuckandestela.com/